The Last Words
by hyperpsychomaniac
Summary: Mahad once again disobeys Cortes' orders, choosing to attack a group of patrollers near an allied bloc. When one of the patrollers opens fire on the bloc as a result, Mahad soon finds out he may have really gotten himself into trouble...
1. Chapter 1

**A/n:** I've wanted to write a fic for quite some time where Mahad is forced to think about why Cortes yells at him all the time. I mean, REALLY forced. That boy just doesn't seem to learn, and it may just be the fact the series/writing of the series doesn't want to go much of anywhere, but it seems he'd just need something really big to get him thinking. Thick head. I love Mahad really.... Anyway, read on! And please review!

* * *

" … can't... hear you… breaking up…" Mahad flicked the switch on his overhead console, cutting the sound of Cortes' voice out from his immediate surroundings. He sighed. Peace and quiet. Well, not for long. But it would be a sound he would enjoy – the sound of weapons fire and whining patrollers as they fell from the sky, no match for his superior piloting skills.

Mahad grinned as he felt his heart begin to pound, and the adrenaline fill his veins. He increased the Hyperion's speed, almost in sync with his own body's excitement. The first patroller came into view, and Mahad sent his weapons smashing into the side of the ships body.

The enemy ship listed to its side, and the two other patrollers in the area came rushing at him. _What does Cortes know?_ Mahad scowled as he gave chase. _Who cares if they're close to this bloc? There's only three. There's no way they'll go back to tell the Sphere about it. Not with me after them._

Mahad spun the Hyperion gracefully through the bloc's airspace. He'd finish the patrollers off before the Saint Nazaire got close enough to engage any. If Cortes would even allow the larger ship to fight.

At that moment, he heard an explosion behind him. The first patroller he'd damaged earlier still couldn't attack him, but now it had sent a barrage into the side of the nearby bloc.

"What!? Hey!" Mahad shouted, whirling his ship around. The bloc hadn't even attacked it! He set his own weapons to pummel the side of the S22. After a few seconds, it exploded. But the damage to the bloc – and the houses perched on the cliff face in the line of fire – had already been done.

Mahad turned on the other patrollers, blasting them without mercy so they wouldn't have a chance to do the same.

----

It was all over in a few minutes. Mahad docked the Hyperion, and got ready to step outside. The Saint Nazaire was just coming into dock behind him. Mahad looked down at his console and saw the light on the radio flashing, indicating a transmission was coming through. Cortes probably just wanted to yell at him. It didn't matter, because he'd already despatched the patrollers. What did the Captain have to be mad about?

Mahad sighed and opened the Hyperion's hatch. He could see some of the townspeople heading towards the two ships. Well, he'd be grateful too; who knew what those patrollers would have done if he hadn't destroyed them?

He thought he heard Cortes' voice, shouting at him from the Saint Nazaire. He couldn't make out what he was saying, and resisted the urge to turn around. Cortes could shove it.

"Hey, no need to…" Mahad was cut short as a boy a little bit taller than him came to a halt in front of him, drew back a fist and punched him in the jaw. Mahad dropped to the ground.

"You freaking idiot! You set that patroller right on us! My sister was still in our house!"

Mahad was immediately crowded by a rush of people. The people he thought had come to thank him. He scooted backwards, trying to get out of their way, but still too dizzy and now too scared to stand up. _What had he done? He'd been trying to help!_

"Everyone, just calm down!" shouted a strong female voice. It came from somewhere back in the crowd. Most of the people seemed to listen to this person, stepping away from Mahad.

The boy who'd hit him didn't seem to have heard, and still advanced on Mahad. Until the woman who had spoken grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him back.

Mahad felt someone grab him from behind, and jumped. It was only Dahlia. She pulled him up and back, and Mahad realised the rest of the pirates had made it down from the Saint Nazaire. He'd been so freaked out he hadn't realised. "I…"

"For goodness sakes," Dahlia whispered loudly, "don't you think it would be a good idea to keep your mouth shut?"

"Don't you get it; he killed my sister!" the boy shouted. The woman pushed him back into the arms of an older man in the crowd. "Not now, alright?"

She turned to Mahad and the pirates, her eyes angry. "Cortes, I presume?"

Cortes gave a single nod. "Aye."

"Catherine. The leader of this bloc. I thought we had an understanding? This is _our_ airspace. You don't let your pirates," here, she looked at Mahad for the briefest of moments, "open fire in it. And far less set the Sphere upon us!"

"We do have an understanding," Cortes growled. "He… disobeyed my orders…" He wouldn't look at Mahad.

Mahad almost wished he would. The other boy's words were still ringing in his ears. _Someone got killed. _The boy had stopped looking like he wanted to knock Mahad down again right there. He was shuddering in the man's arms that held him and looked like he was going into shock.

There were a few men and women in uniform gathering now. They had their eyes on the crowd, and their weapons on the pirates. One of the men walked up to Catherine and whispered something in her ear. She closed her eyes briefly and nodded. When she opened them again, she was staring hard and cold at Cortes. "It's just been confirmed. The Sphere attack has killed two people. Unless they find more."

"Catherine, I'm sorry, if you need any help…"

"We don't need your help," the woman growled. "But you listen to me. Your pirate was in _our_ airspace. He broke _our_ laws. If he didn't attack, those Sphere patrollers wouldn't have opened fire on our bloc and killed my people!" her voice rose slightly. She drew in a breath, calming herself. "You know our laws, Cortes…"

"_He_ didn't kill anyone…" Cortes growled. "The Sphere did."

"His actions caused the death of at least two of my people," Catherine snapped. "Our laws are clear. He must die."

Mahad drew in a sharp breath. "What!?" He drew back, bumping up against Dahlia.

"What?" Lena exclaimed, "You can't do that!" Her hands began to glow with blue energy.

Almost immediately, all the uniformed men and women keeping watch raised their weapons.

"Lena!" Cortes shouted. "Stop it!"

"But…"

"We're already in enough trouble because of not listening to what I say! We can work this out, but not like this!"

Lena let her hands drop.

"Catherine," Cortes turned back to the bloc's leader. "He's just a boy. He doesn't deserve to die…"

"Our laws…"

"I know. But I want to work this out. No guns, no hostility. Let's you and me discuss this."

"You think you can change my mind?"

"I'm just asking you to hear me out."

Catherine finally nodded. "Alright. We'll talk. Come with me."

"Mahad and everyone else don't get harmed until we return. Got it?"

Catherine nodded. "Of course. Take them to the holding facility. Don't harm them," she ordered her men. "Come with me," she said again to Cortes.

Cortes looked at Mahad then, only briefly, then turned and followed the woman.

Mahad shuddered under that brief look. It contained a thinly veiled rage, which scared him all the more because it was blatantly obvious Cortes didn't want him to get hurt. Yet he was still angry. Mahad was pressed back against Dahlia, and didn't want to move. Cortes wasn't the only thing scaring him. Everything had happened so fast. He was going to die, and it wasn't even the Sphere that wanted to kill him.

----

They'd been waiting in the holding facility now for nearly two hours. At first, Mahad had been pacing, but now he simply sat down on one of benches to the side. Lena was next to him, and perhaps the only reason he forced himself to keep his fear under control.

"I didn't mean to hurt anyone…" he finally blurted it out. It was at least the fourth time he'd done so, as if he needed to convince someone, or at least himself.

"We know, Mahad," said the Vector, giving him a slight smile from across the cell. Even so, the old man himself seemed frightened. They had a massively overpowered pirate ship just sitting outside, but in this situation, it did them little good.

A uniform stepped into the cells then, and the bloc's leader Catherine came in after him.

The pirates all stood up, though Mahad hung back, scared for his life as he was.

Catherine looked at them all for a moment, her hands clasped behind her back, saying nothing. Her eyes rested on Mahad.

Mahad swallowed; he could swear she was trying to frighten him on purpose.

"Well?" the Vector asked eventually.

"We came to an agreement," said Catherine. "The incident wasn't the boy's fault. He's free to go. You're all free to go."

Mahad broke into a grin. "Alright!"

"Mahad!" Lena grinned. She tackled her brother in a hug, and Mahad spun her around himself.

"Why?" the Vector asked sharply.

His tone caused Mahad and Lena's excitement to dim. They turned and faced the front of the cell.

"You wouldn't just let him go without punishment; why?"

"Cortes and I agreed it wasn't his fault," she repeated. "He is under Cortes' command and he didn't follow Cortes' orders. It is the Captain's responsibility to make sure his crew obey his orders. This, he failed at, and this is what caused the death of my people."

"Wait…" said Mahad. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, as I said before, that you are free to go. But Cortes will bear the death penalty."


	2. Chapter 2

"They can't do this!" Dahlia growled, pacing the bridge of the Saint Nazaire.

The pirates had been released from their holding cell, and escorted back to their ship. They were now under constant surveillance, as evidenced by the many uniformed men and women positioned at various posts around the ship. The Saint Nazaire would not be allowed to leave until Cortes' sentence had been carried out. In dock, the big ship couldn't retaliate. Cortes would be thrown off the edge of the bloc at dusk; and the pirates couldn't stop it.

"Nevertheless, they are…" said the Vector.

"We have to do something…" muttered Wayan as he rubbed a cloth over his rifle. "Catherine said Cortes didn't want us to react violently, but we don't know for sure if she's lying or not."

"She did also say we could go and see him," the Vector reminded him.

"Perhaps we should test that out…" Wayan lifted the gun's sight to his eye, and picked up Catherine in the view. She was on the dock, giving instructions to one of the uniformed women, and he could just see her through the bridge's window.

"We can't attack, no. That would be counterproductive. Cortes would know that; so yes, I believe he did say that," said the Vector.

"We should go see him anyway," said Dahlia. "We can't attack, but we can at least figure out a peaceful way to get him out. Perhaps he's already got a plan."

"Good idea," said the Vector. "Whilst you do that, I'll go talk to Catherine. Perhaps we can convince her to change her mind."

"I doubt it," said Wayan. "But it's still worth a try." He slung his rifle onto his back. "I'll come with you."

"I don't think they'll let you take that, Wayan. Nor do I think it's a good idea."

"I'll come with you, Dahlia," said Cheng, standing up quickly and grabbing onto the side of her jacket sleeve. He looked a little pale, but otherwise he seemed to be holding up okay.

"We'll come too…" said Lena, jumping up and dragging Mahad with her.

"I don't think Mahad should come," said Cheng, suddenly, coldly.

Everyone looked at Cheng, and Mahad dropped his eyes to the floor.

"I think he _should_," the Vector eventually said into the silence. "Cortes might want to talk to him."

Cheng chewed his lip and looked at the floor, but didn't say anything more.

----

The guards led Dahlia, Mahad, Lena and Cheng down a winding staircase. They were somewhere close to where they had previously been held. But here, the security was much more comprehensive. They'd walked past at least three sets of guards. Now, they were probably underground. Any thoughts of busting Cortes out, within the timeframe they had to plan it, were quickly vanishing from the fours' minds.

Eventually, the stairs ended and they came to a dusty floor. There were few cells here and all but one were empty. The speed at which Cortes' sentence was to be carried out suggested no one ever stayed in death row for long.

One of the guards leading them stepped forward to a heavy looking metal door, and slipped a key into the lock. "We'll be just outside. Just give us a yell when you want to come out, but we'll be locking the door."

Dahlia nodded, and stepped through. Cheng and Lena followed. As Mahad entered, he caught the guard sneering at him. As he caught his gaze, the man didn't even stop staring. Mahad shivered, and quickly stepped inside. The door was shut behind them.

"Cortes!"

Cortes stood from the small, simple bed he'd been sitting on, just in time to intercept Cheng as he pelted across the room and threw his arms around the man's waist. "Okay, lad," said Cortes, looking the slightest bit uncomfortable. "There's no need for that…" He gently pried the boy off.

Cheng let go, but didn't leave Cortes' side.

"Are you okay?" Lena asked.

"I'm fine. What are you lot doing here?"

"We've come to try and work out a way to get you out of this," said Dahlia. "The Vector's gone to try and talk to Catherine. We were wondering if you had any sort of plan…?"

"I've already worked the only plan I could think of…" Cortes looked at Mahad briefly. "No, I haven't thought of a way to get myself out of this. Catherine told you I didn't want you to retaliate violently?"

Dahlia nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Good… the last thing we need is to be fighting with other blocs, far less for my sake, as well as fighting the Sphere." Cortes paused. "Dahlia, if you can think of any _other_ way to get me out of this…"

"I know. We're trying. As I said, the Vector's talking to Catherine…"

"I'm not sure that'll get us far," Cortes interrupted. "I tried everything I could; but this is the only reasonable thing I could get her to agree to…"

Mahad had been fidgeting nervously all throughout the conversation. He didn't want to look straight at Cortes. But at the same time he wished Cortes would say something directly to him. "You didn't _have_ to go and do that you know!" he blurted out. "This was _my_ problem! What made you think you could go and interfere like that?!"

"Mahad!" Lena exclaimed.

"Lena, it's alright," said Cortes. "Mahad, listen to me. You're part of my crew, the same as anyone else on that ship. It's my responsibility to make sure you don't get hurt. What Catherine was trying to put on you was disproportionate…"

Mahad just stared at Cortes wide eyed. The Captain wasn't even yelling at him like he normally did when he did something stupid! If Cortes would just shout at him, Mahad could handle it. But this, he couldn't handle. A shudder ran through Mahad's body, and he turned his back on Cortes and rapped on the door. "Hey… I'm ready to… leave!"

"Mahad…" Cortes growled, stepping towards the door.

"That was quick…" One of the guards muttered as he unlocked the door, pulling it open.

Mahad pushed his way out, just as Cortes managed to get the tips of his fingers on the boy's shoulder. Then he was gone, leaving Cortes staring at the slightly startled guard. "You can stay right there," the guard said, as he overcame his surprise at Mahad's hasty exit. The door was shut in Cortes' face.

"Aren't you angry at him, Cortes?" Cheng asked. He blinked, not fully comprehending the exchange that had just occurred.

Cortes sighed. "_Of course_ I'm angry at him. But this isn't about one stupid mistake anymore." He walked back across the room, away from the door. "Honestly, I'm all out of ideas. You should all leave; you'll probably find you can accomplish much more out there."

"But I want to stay with you!" Cheng exclaimed, grabbing onto the edge of Cortes' jacket.

"You don't have to. It'll be fine, I promise you. You're more help to me out there. Now, go on…" He prised Cheng off himself again.

The boy reluctantly let go. Lena took a hold of his arm, guiding him towards the door. "Come on, Cheng. We'll work this out…"

Cortes' hand stayed briefly on the edge of Cheng's sleeve, and then the material slipped from between his fingers.

Lena rapped on the door, and it was opened.

"Dahlia…" Cortes grabbed the young woman by the arm before she could follow. "Look… I'm not sure if I'm going to get out of this…"

"We'll find a way, Sir, I promise…"

Cortes smiled ever so slightly. "I know. But just in case we don't… make sure Cheng's okay. I know you'd all keep an eye on him, but… just make sure, okay?"

Dahlia could have told him that wasn't going to happen. But she knew that wasn't what he needed at the moment. "I promise, Sir." Cortes hadn't let go of her arm yet, as if he didn't want to. For a moment, Dahlia had the urge to hug him. It could be the last time… but she pushed that thought down, as well as the desire to put her arms around him. "I promise," she repeated. Then she slipped out the door, leaving Cortes alone.

Cortes let out a long sigh, as if he'd been keeping himself in check the whole time his crew had been there. He went and sat back down on the bed, his shoulders slumping, and stared at the floor. The problem seemed so inescapable that he found himself afraid. Cortes found he was afraid of dying. He didn't know what came after; he'd seen how much it hurt those left behind. As Cortes awaited his fate, his fingers gripped into the edge of the thin mattress and his hands shook. He had to hope there was some way out. His life was completely in his crews hands. He trusted them, but that didn't stop him from being afraid.

----

Mahad had slowed to a walk as he exited the cells. He was probably supposed to have had an escort, but he'd left so quickly, and none of the guards had stopped him. They were probably happy enough that he was heading out of the prison.

He stepped out into the sunshine, and blinked at the glare. It was around about one in the afternoon.

_Cortes barely has hours to live and it's all my fault._

He sighed, and headed back towards the ship, staring at the ground. What were they supposed to do? Mahad could think of a few things, but realistically he knew any of those would probably put them in more trouble than they already were. He _had_ to save Cortes. If Cortes died because of his foolish mistake… Mahad blinked again, but not because of the glare. It was already his fault that people on this bloc had died. _Why didn't I listen to Cortes in the first place?_

He'd wandered along for a bit, not really looking where he was going. His mind was running in overdrive, trying to push down the guilt so he could work something out. He subconsciously realised he was heading away from the Saint Nazaire, so turned and cut through an alleyway. He wasn't sure why he was heading for the ship. He didn't have a plan yet.

It was at that moment that Mahad bumped into someone. "Sorry…" he muttered, not even bothering to look up. A hand was thumped into his shoulder, pushing him back.

"You're not going anywhere…"

Mahad looked up, and recognised the boy who'd hit him earlier. Crowded behind him were at least three other youths. "Um listen…" Mahad started. A quick glance over his shoulder, taking in his surroundings, and Mahad realised he'd gotten himself into a spot of bother. He couldn't see anyone else around, and his only escape route was the other end of the alley, some twenty or so feet away. "I'm really sorry about your sister…"

"Yeah, right!" the boy snarled, edging closer. "If you were sorry, you wouldn't have opened fire on those Sphere ships in the first place!"

"That doesn't make any sense!" Mahad protested. "And I mean it, alright!? I'm _sorry_! I made a mistake; I didn't know they would open fire on the bloc like that!"

"Yeah? Make your excuses, what is it? Mahad? Well, they're too late for Madeline!" the boy growled, his eyes growing watery.

One of the youths behind him, a girl of about fifteen, put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "It's okay, Andrew…" she turned to Mahad, glaring. "We'll take care of him." She pulled a blade out of her pocket, turning it so it reflected the light. "Catherine may have let you off, but we're none so forgiving…"

The other two boys were moving up beside him now, cutting off his escape.

"No!" Andrew snarled, pushing the girl's hand down and wresting the knife off her. "He killed _my_ sister! _I'll_ take care of him." He turned to Mahad, his eyes now clear of tears and full of fire, and advanced past the other two boys, pushing them aside.

"Look, wait…"

Andrew swung the knife through the air, aiming to slash across Mahad's chest. The blow was uncalculated and full of rage.

Mahad jumped back, letting the blade swing through empty air. He reached a hand behind his back, clasping around the wooden edge of his boomerang.

Andrew snarled and brought the weapon up again, slashing forward with even more force.

Mahad caught the blade on the edge of the boomerang, redirecting the force, and flinging Andrew off so that he overbalanced and stumbled into the wall of the alleyway.

The other three were advancing, and Mahad knew this was a fight he'd be foolhardy to stay for. In all honesty, he just wanted to get away, no matter how cowardly it made him look. A part of him almost didn't blame them for wanting to hurt him.

"Get him!" Andrew shouted.

Mahad spun on his heel in the dust, and ran out the way he had come. He could hear them closing in behind him.

"I'll rip your guts out you murdering son of a bitch!" Andrew yelled after him.

Mahad's feet pounded past the alley's opening. And then he ran smack bang into a very well toned chest. He was knocked back into the road in a cloud of dust. His heart pounded in his throat; there'd be no way he'd escape now.

Then the dust cleared, and the figure in front of him materialised into one of the men in uniform. He held a gun, but it wasn't pointed at Mahad. "Alright, you lot hold it right there."

Mahad looked behind him, and saw the three boys come to a halt in the mouth of the alleyway. The girl had obviously been smart enough to duck back the other way before she'd been seen.

"You saw what happened!" Andrew snarled. "The Sphere ships… it was his fault!" He lunged forward then, but the other two boys held him back, stopping him from getting himself into more trouble.

"Yeah, I saw that," the man in uniform replied tersely. "But this is _not_ how we serve justice. You boys know that."

"Um… thanks, I guess…" Mahad muttered. He stood up, brushing himself off.

"I think you'd better take off back to your ship, kid. Don't you?" the man snapped, rounding on Mahad. "Go on, before you get yourself hurt. Hanging around here you're just pushing your luck."

Mahad nodded dumbly. _Yeah, great. Cortes is trying to save my life. And I'm just trying all the harder to get myself killed!_ He turned his back on all of them, and started heading back towards the Saint Nazaire. This time, making sure he headed directly for it.

Behind him, Andrew shouted something. The man in uniform grabbed him by the arm, wresting him under control.

Mahad noticed none of this. The man was right; he just had to get away from here before he caused more trouble and got someone else hurt. His vision blurred as he headed towards the ship, his pace quickening until he was almost running.

Within minutes the Hyperion could be seen jetting away from the larger ship, out of dock. Its course was fast and straight. It simply headed away.

This startled a few of the uniformed guards, but after a few minutes they calmed. Though it was the ship that had caused them so much trouble, it was leaving, and quite obviously not coming back. To be honest, they were perfectly happy it was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

"You're being totally illogical about this!" the Vector almost hit the table this time, but just managed to refrain.

"There is nothing illogical about my point of view," Catherine snarled, equally annoyed as the Vector. "I have gone over it enough times, haven't I? I've already talked all I plan to with Cortes. We came to an agreement, and I don't plan to change my mind again."

"But this is _wrong_!" the Vector growled, standing up and leaning on the table in an attempt to get his point across.

Catherine had two buff looking bodyguards in the bloc's seemingly ever present uniform standing behind her, and they bristled at the Vector's movement.

Wayan stood behind the Vector, and he narrowed his eyes at the guards' movement.

The two actually eased off under the man's glare. Wayan had stood almost perfectly still throughout the entire exchange, but his eyes radiated the building anger inside him. He'd somehow convinced the two he could and would wipe the floor with both of them if given the chance, and he had barely moved a muscle.

Catherine, however, seemed unfazed by both him and the Vector. "And it isn't wrong what happened to my people?"

"I never said that," said the Vector, sitting back down. "I'm very sorry about what has happened to your bloc. But it wasn't Mahad's fault, and it certainly wasn't Cortes'. The Sphere killed your people, and I'm sure if given the chance you'd much rather punish them. They are the ones who really deserve it."

"Unfortunately, I can't. And I as I said, I've already been over this with Cortes. Someone has to die, and if he'd rather that were him than the boy, so be it. After all, what sort of Captain can't control his own people?"

At that moment, there was a rap on the door.

Catherine sighed. "What now?"

One of the bodyguards went over and opened the doorway. Another man in uniform stood there, and he pushed in a boy ahead of him.

The same one that had told Mahad he'd killed his sister, if the Vector wasn't mistaken.

"This one pulled a knife on that pirate boy in an alleyway," the man dragging him in explained. "I caught him before he caused any real trouble though."

"Okay," Catherine sighed. She turned and addressed the boy. "Andrew, what made you go and do that?"

"What do you think?" the boy answered, looking at the floor.

"Alright, did you touch him with the knife?"

"No… he moved too quickly."

"Alright," she turned to the man who'd brought him in. "Lock him up. Three months. Standard."

The man nodded, and pulled the boy out by the arm.

"Where were we?" Catherine growled. She sounded frustrated with the whole proceedings.

"You seem awfully quick to pass judgement," the Vector scowled.

"Justice is swift. The officer saw what Andrew did. The same as everyone on the bloc saw what happened earlier today. I know the bloc's laws back to front. You can check the documents yourself if you'd like; but you'll find it exactly as I've said. Three months lock up for Andrew's attack. And for murder, through negligence, or whatever you'd like, it's quite clear. The perpetrator is to be thrown off the bloc."

"Cortes has killed no one! Neither has Mahad!"

"… but Cortes was the cause," Catherine said, unwavering.

The Vector sighed. "Because he was responsible for Mahad? Because Mahad _made_ the Sphere attack?"

"Exactly."

The Vector scowled again. But he thought he had an argument. "What about Andrew. Aren't you responsible for him? At least as much as Cortes is for Mahad."

Catherine blinked. "We weren't in any fight…"

"But he's a part of your bloc, the bloc you control. Shouldn't a Captain be able to control her own people?"

Catherine scowled. "Alright, Vector. I can see you're not going to let his go easy. But you're a smart man…" She stopped here, and turned over her shoulder to the guards behind her. "You two, leave us."

The two guards exchanged looks. "We're here to protect you, ma'am… and what about…"

Wayan shifted from behind the Vector, eyes on the two guards the whole time, and walked towards the door. He trusted the Vector enough to know that whatever Catherine tried to argue, he would be much better able to handle it than Wayan thought he could. He found himself simply frustrated, and that frustration he was slowly venting by intimidating the other two men. It may have been immature, but Wayan could think of nothing he could do to help. Nothing which didn't involve some Mosquitoes anyway.

"I can handle myself with an old man, now leave."

The two guards nodded, and followed Wayan out.

The Vector let the old man comment slide. "Well?" he said as Catherine turned to face him again.

"As I was saying, I can see you're a smart man. Maybe you'll understand better if I give you the full story."

"Cortes was with you a long time. I fail to see why he would take so long to convince you of such a simple argument."

"Believe me; he tried everything else he could think of first. That included threatening to stop protecting our bloc if we hurt Mahad. He didn't go as far as to threaten an attack, but a lack of protection… we may not be able to afford that…"

"Then why would he offer himself!?" the Vector asked. "You can obviously see he's a good man – otherwise he could have attacked this bloc! Our ship certainly has enough weapons. He wouldn't hurt innocent people, Catherine. This proves that. He just doesn't want Mahad to be given a punishment he doesn't deserve."

"He offered himself because I wouldn't back down, Vector. I _can't_ back down. Do you want us to become like the Sphere? Bending the rules as we see fit? Our laws state that if you are the direct cause of the death of someone, then you _will_ be thrown off the bloc. No ifs, no buts. That's even more important than securing protection from someone who frankly hasn't done that good a job in the first place. Cortes offered a way out of this. His life. Otherwise that boy would have been killed, and we would have lost your pirates' protection, flimsy though it may be."

"Catherine…" said the Vector. He was now starting to understand how concrete this was, at least in Catherine's own mind. He leaned forward. "You're going to kill the leader of the rebellion for something the Sphere did, all because you're blinded by your laws. What if they're wrong? You could be destroying Skyland's best chances for freedom from the Sphere. "

"The laws are not wrong. And no, I do not believe we are putting Skyland in danger. How long has the rebellion been around Vector? What good have you done? I'm sure someone else could do just as well as Cortes. Perhaps better. We're not going to win anyway." With that, she stood up, her body language clear. "We're done here, Vector. I've made up my mind."

----

Cortes had heard nothing since Dahlia, Cheng and Lena had left. He'd simply sat, staring at the four walls of his cell. He couldn't know what was happening outside, and that seemed to make the hours he sat there drag out.

It still came all too fast when one of the uniformed guards opened the door to his cell, and gestured him out. "Sunset, mate. It's time. You got any last requests?"

"Yeah." Cortes stood. "I'd like to see my crew."

---

The pirates were already waiting just outside the cell block. Cortes stepped out, surrounded by three guards. There were others around the building, their eyes and weapons all fixed on the pirates. They weren't going to let them pull any fast moves.

"Cortes," the Vector approached him first, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I tried talking to Catherine. I tried everything I could think of…"

"It's alright," Cortes sighed.

The Vector lowered his voice. "What you're doing here isn't necessary, Cortes. But it's really brave."

"Of course it's necessary."

"Sir…" Dahlia looked up at him. Her hands were tensioned into fists, but she managed to keep her gaze steady. "I'm not sure what we're going to do without you… Sir."

"You'll be fine." Cortes was now starting to feel uncomfortable. He didn't want to put his crew through this. It didn't help when Lena came and threw her arms around him, closely followed by Cheng.

"Thanks for what you're doing for Mahad," said Lena, her voice choked.

"It's okay…" said Cortes, prising her off.

Cheng stayed clamped to his side, his face buried. He didn't say anything.

"Cheng…" Cortes knelt down, and pulled the boy away gently. Cheng clamped back around his shoulders. Cortes closed his eyes. This was getting harder and harder. "I love you, okay?" he whispered, just loud enough for Cheng to hear. He then stood up, and pushed Cheng over to the Vector.

"Cortes…" Wayan stepped up to him, and looked him straight in the eye. "If there's anything you want me to do…"

"I want you to make sure this bloc doesn't get abandoned, just because of what happens here today…"

"I…"

"Promise me, Wayan."

Wayan held his gaze for a moment more then sighed, letting his line of sight drop. "I promise."

Cortes nodded. "Alright, where's Mahad?" He'd realised the boy wasn't there when he'd come in, but hadn't had the chance to bring it up yet. He _needed_ to speak to him. If he didn't, Cortes knew Mahad would never forgive himself. He still might not, but Cortes had to at least let him know that he had.

"We don't know," said the Vector. "He took off in the Hyperion hours ago, but he hasn't returned."

"We have to leave soon," said one of the guards.

"Alright…" said Cortes. "Vector, just tell him… tell him…" Suddenly, Cortes couldn't think of how to relay the message. He should tell Mahad his last words himself, but that had been taken away from him.

"I'll let him know, Cortes," said the Vector.

"Time to go…" the guards took Cortes by each arm, and led him out.

More uniformed guards stepped up to the pirates, and led them to a balcony where they would be able to watch. They would be given that right at least, but there would be no way for them to easily interfere.

----

Cortes had his wrists cable-tied together, and he was blindfolded before the guards led him out to the edge of the bloc. Cortes assumed this was where they were; he was unable to see anything.

They came to a halt. In the stillness, he was sure he could hear that a crowd had gathered. Cortes heard no cheering. This wasn't the Sphere who was executing him. Still, his heart was beginning to thump in his chest so loudly that Cortes wondered if anyone else could hear it. Not being able to see what was going on made his fear worse. How far would he fall before his body impacted a lower level bloc? Would he pass out before this, or would he be left alive after he hit, staring up into the sky until his organs completely failed him?

Catherine had started to say something to the crowd; Cortes recognised her voice. But he couldn't quite concentrate on what she said. He was almost more frightened than he could remember being. He could feel himself begin to sweat and shake. Only the thought that his crew was probably somewhere near watching him gave him the strength to keep his body ridged, not giving in to the fear. He would be strong on the outside for them, as he'd always tried to be, even though he was breaking up on the inside. He just wished he could see them right now, or at least knew where they stood. He felt as if he was doing this alone.

Catherine had stopped speaking. Cortes realised this as the guards beside him once again grabbed him by the arms and dragged him forward. He tried not to resist too much, though it was difficult to keep himself moving forwards what with being unable to see, and the thoughts of any second now being thrown from the bloc's edge. How long until the ground disappeared from under his boots now? The guards stopped, and Cortes felt them let him go. He just stood there, trying to stand tall. Then two hands were pushed into the small of his back, causing him to take a step forward.

There was nothing there.


	4. Chapter 4

"Cortes!"

Cheng's voice rang out into the still air. But it was already too late. The boy slipped down to his knees, knowing there was absolutely nothing he could do.

Dahlia crouched down and put her arms around him.

Wayan stood behind them. He felt a shudder run through his body. They weren't supposed to lose Cortes like this.

----

Cortes thought he heard Cheng shout his name. Had he imagined it? Even as he strained to catch and hold onto that faint sound, his body accelerated, and every sound was snatched away in the roar of rushing air.

He was falling. His stomach felt as if it was up in his throat. He knew he was spinning through the air but he couldn't tell which way was up or down, something that seemed like it should've been easy when he was plummeting. Even with the blindfold on, Cortes squeezed his eyes shut. He was stuck between the fear, and a strange sense of calm. As seconds ticked by, seconds that seemed like minutes or hours, the fear almost disappeared. In the darkness and the white noise, Cortes almost felt peaceful.

A part of him still knew that peacefulness would soon be shattered, just like every bone in his body when he finally smashed into a chunk of loose earth.

_Why haven't I hit anything!?_ Anger and fear came rushing back. He just wanted this to be over. He wrested at the tie around his wrists, but that only made it cut in, and his body spun through the air even more.

His shoulder smacked into something briefly. A clank like metal. Had he hit some sky debris? His heart rate increased further; he was now sure his impact with some object was imminent.

He smacked into something again, hard. Cortes felt pain jolt up his spine. The roar of rushing air cut out as he impacted a half dozen more times, before coming to rest on his side. It was quiet except for the ragged sound of his own breathing as he gasped to pull in oxygen snatched away by either the movement of air or his own fear. Pain tugged at some misaligned nerve in his back, but it had lost its initial sharp edge and was somewhat bearable. He should've smashed everything in his body, why didn't it hurt more!? Was his body just in too much shock? Cortes couldn't see where he was. He couldn't move, both from the awkward position and tied wrists, and the fact he was shaking so much.

What the hell was happening to him _now_?

----

Mahad slammed the Hyperion's throttle into the neutral position. The ship slowed its rapid descent, and eventually levelled out. Before everything had completely stabilised, Mahad had already jerked the lever which caused the pilots seat to drop down into the Hyperion's hold.

The boy's heart thumped in his chest as he stumbled over the edge of one of the benches, and dashed into the tight machine room. He was sure he'd lined up the entry hatch perfectly… but he was unsure about the speed at which he'd let the ship fall. He thought he had felt the impact jolt the ship all the way from the cockpit, though that may have only been his frayed nerves.

Mahad rounded the corner, and skidded to a halt on the smooth metal floor. He'd almost been scared there would be no one there. In reality, he knew he had lined the ship up true. Cortes lay on his side in the bottom of the Hyperion's hold.

Mahad drew in a quick breath. Was he okay? He didn't trust his voice for the moment, and stepped over. The man was visibly shaking. Mahad knelt, and swallowed quickly. "Cortes…" he touched a hand to the man's shoulder.

Cortes' body jerked under the touch, and Mahad almost got kicked in the leg. "Ma… had?" Cortes' voice was shaking almost as much as he was.

"Yeah… are you okay?"

"I… can't see anything…"

Mahad pulled the blindfold from around Cortes' face. "Here…"

Cortes blinked, and tried to push himself up off the ground. It didn't work so well with his wrists tied. His face contorted and he let out a noise somewhat between a cry and a groan.

"Hang on…" Mahad turned away. Cortes sounded like he was in pain. Just seeing him lying on the ground like that unable to move… Mahad knew he'd done that to him. Cortes had saved his life. Look what he'd done to him!

Mahad bit his lip as he quickly searched through the pile of tools in the corner. He found a wire cutter, but didn't turn back around until he'd forced the tears building behind his eyes back down. He stepped behind Cortes, cut his bonds, and then moved back around in front of him to help him up off the floor.

Cortes sat up a little stiffly, letting Mahad guide him.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, Mahad," said Cortes, drawing in a sharp breathe.

This wasn't true; Mahad could feel him shaking still. He looked pale and was sweating despite the cool air around them. "Cortes… I'm really, _really_ sorry. I didn't mean for you to get hurt, I swear! I just… I'm sorry. I should've listened to you in the first place."

"It's okay…" said Cortes slowly. "You just saved my life…"

"Cortes!" Mahad could barely believe this. "I nearly got you killed! I made a stupid, stupid mistake! You should be yelling at me! You should be… heck there's no one else here, you can hit me if you want! I probably deserve it!"

Cortes managed to focus on Mahad then, staring hard at him. "I am _not_ going to hit you, Mahad."

Mahad just stared back. He couldn't think of anything else to say. He felt the tears well behind his eyes again, but this time he couldn't stop them. A sob racked his body, and he suddenly found himself grasping onto the front of Cortes' jacket. He hadn't realised how scared he'd been of losing him. He'd always taken Cortes for granted; always found himself annoyed at him for trying to tell him what to do, and just wishing he'd leave him be. But Cortes had nearly gotten himself killed just trying to save him. "I'm sorry…" Mahad clung to the Captain, knowing he was being childish, but not really caring.

Cortes held the teenager against himself for a brief moment. This would normally make him feel uncomfortable, but he was still so shaken from the fall that having someone close to him was a comfort. But this wasn't about him, and eventually Cortes pushed Mahad back, forcing the boy to look at him again. "Look Mahad, it's alright. Things worked out, and… I'm grateful you caught me, really I am. It doesn't matter now, alright?"

Mahad blinked rapidly as he fought to clear his eyes. "What do you mean it worked out? You nearly got killed. Other people probably got killed because of what I did…"

Cortes sighed. "I don't know whether those Sphere ships would've turned on the bloc if you hadn't attacked them, Mahad. You never know with the Sphere. But, yeah, I was pretty sure we could very easily get ourselves in trouble with Catherine. Look, all I want from you is…" he paused and drew in another deep breath. He was still trying to pull himself together. "I don't know how to get through to you, lad. Mahad, you need to listen to me; I'm not just trying to stop you having fun, I'm stopping you for a _reason_. I want you to just _try_ and listen to me? Please?"

"Yeah… okay…" Mahad nodded again. Cortes had nearly given his life; surely he could at least try to do this? It didn't escape him that Cortes had been trying to get him to listen to him for quite some time. It had nearly taken the Captain getting himself killed to make him realise the gravity that was actually behind the request.

"… I really don't want to go through that again," said Cortes, his voice barely a whisper.

Mahad looked down at the ground, again ashamed.

"I'm grounding you and the Hyperion until further notice," Cortes said, clearing his throat. "You don't go anywhere without a direct order or my express permission. Alright?"

Mahad nodded. He had no choice but to accept the punishment. He could have got much worse. "You need a hand getting up?" he eventually asked.

Cortes nodded, and let Mahad get an arm around his back, letting him help take his body's weight. The muscles in his back still twinged every time he moved. Cortes grunted.

"You're hurt?"

"It's okay; it's just my back… I'm fine."

Mahad wasn't entirely sure he should believe him. Again, he felt bad. "Cortes… thanks for saving _my_ life," he said, a little guiltily. "I didn't deserve it. You didn't have to."

"Of course I had to. And I'd do it again."

"If I can get this right, and start listening to you, you won't have to."

----

They had to wait a few hours. It took this long for the Saint Nazaire to leave Catherine's bloc, and get out of their sensor range. It would be best not to tempt fate by returning to the ship too soon.

Cortes had sat down in the passenger seat up in the cockpit, and eventually dozed off. Mahad let him be, until they got close enough to safely make contact with the Saint Nazaire.

"Hey, Cortes…" Mahad reached across the cockpit and gently shook the man's shoulder.

"Hmm?" Cortes blinked himself awake, and looked sleepily over at Mahad.

"We're nearly at the Saint Nazaire… you want to call them?" He smiled slightly. "I think they might want to hear your voice."

Cortes seemed to think for a moment, or perhaps he was still waking up. "You call them," he said eventually. "My voice out of the blue may be a bit of a shock…" He trailed off as it occurred to him that his crew probably thought he was dead.

Mahad activated the radio. "Saint Nazaire… this is Mahad." He paused. "Permission to dock?"

Eventually, there was a response. "We were wondering when you were going to turn back up." It was Dahlia. Her reply wasn't cold; she simply sounded tired, and perhaps actually glad he'd returned. "Dock's ready for you."

Mahad paused again, glancing at Cortes. "I've… got someone here you guys might want to talk to…"

Cortes leaned forward, suddenly not sure exactly what to say. "Mind if I come aboard?" he eventually said.

Within seconds the radio let out a burst of noise. It almost sounded like static, except it wasn't. It was many voices crowded around one receiver and talking at the same time.

"Cortes, are you okay!? I thought you were… gone…" The radio had quietened down, and Cheng's voice eventually became clear through what had previously been a buzz of grey noise.

"Yeah, I'm fine, lad. Don't worry. I'll be on the Saint Nazaire in a minute." A faint smiled tugged at Cortes' lips, the first since he'd crashed into the bottom of the Hyperion a couple hours ago.

Even with the feeling of guilt still weighing upon him, Mahad couldn't help smiling as well.

----

It was inevitable, but months later the news came to Catherine's bloc that the Captain of the Saint Nazaire was alive and well. Catherine may have expressed doubts about the success of the rebellion, but they were making enough of a difference that people knew who Cortes was.

Catherine scowled, making the woman in uniform standing across from her feel uncomfortable.

"What do we do…?" the woman eventually asked. "He's avoided our laws. And you're always saying they must be upheld no matter what…"

"What _can_ we do? Outside our bloc we have no jurisdiction…" Catherine frowned. "Although… we _did_ throw him off the bloc; that's all the law specified…"

"Perhaps if the law is so easily avoided… it needs to be changed?"

"No! The law does not change. Perhaps they'll come back, and then we can ensure justice is done. Until then… well…" she shrugged. "We _did_ throw him off the bloc."


End file.
